KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Dr Rana Al-Fares announced Saturday delivering a section of the Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium's quarantine to the Ministry of Health. The initiative was taken to back up efforts by the State and health authorities after increase of numbers of infections with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), said the minister in a statement.

Minister of Health Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah attended the handover event. She praised Kuwait Red Crescent Society for its contribution to building the quarantine and lauded "frontline" volunteers partaking in the fight against the contagion. Ismail Al-Failakawi, the ministry undersecretary, said in a statement the quarantine was built in three weeks.

The complex includes a field medical center, dormitories for medics and nurses, 5,000 beds, intensive care units and pharmacies. He explained that the delivered section included 1,250 beds, adding that the other units would be handed over later.

Easing restrictions
In the meantime, Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah said that efforts were going on to cut restrictions as much as possible, adding that work resumption is unlikely after Eid Al-Fitr holiday. Speaking to reporters while launching the new quarantine center, the minister said that the first phase of the medical facility, involving 1,250 beds and a field hospital, had been completed, adding that the whole quarantine center would go into service by the end of May.

Furthermore, another 250-bed fully equipped medical facility will be opened at Kuwait International Fairground in Mishref, the health minister pointed out. However, he rebuffed recent local press reports on increasing COVID-19 infections among medics as "untrue", while urging people to follow relevant health guidelines, chiefly washing hands frequently, not touching face, maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks.